Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 103 2000 11–26
Agrometeorology and sustainable agriculture
M.V.K. Sivakumar
a ,∗
, R. Gommes
b
, W. Baier
c
a
World Meteorological Organization, 7bis Avenue de la paix, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
b
Via degli Orti di Acilia, 95, 00126 Rome, Italy
c
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada-Research Branch, Ottawa, Ont., Canada K1A 0C6
Abstract
Current concerns with the sustainability of agroecosystems in different parts of the world have hightened the awareness for careful use of the natural resource base on which agriculture depends. For proper and efficient use of soils and plantanimal
genetic material, knowledge of the role of climate is an essential precondition. Several elements of the chapters in Agenda 21, a global plan of action agreed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development UNCED, require the
attention of the agrometeorologists and these have been reviewed. Three International Conventions which have a bearing on sustainable agriculture including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCC, the Convention
on Biological Diversity CBD and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification UNCCD were negotiated and ratified since 1992. The World Food Summit Plan of Action WFSPA, which was developed in 1996, includes several
commitments to make agricultural production sustainable. Agrometeorological aspects of these three Conventions and the WFSPA were reviewed. Some of the priorities for agrometeorologists to address sustainable agriculture in the 21st Century
were discussed. These include improvement and strengthening of agrometeorological networks, development of new sources of data for operational agrometeorology, improved understanding of natural climate variability, promotion and use of seasonal
to inter-annual climate forecasts, establishment andor strengthening of early warning and monitoring systems and promotion of geographical information systems and remote sensing applications and agroecological zoning for sustainable management
of farming systems, forestry and livestock. Other priorities include use of improved methods, procedures and techniques for the dissemination of agrometeorological information, development of agrometeorological adaptation strategies to climate
variability and climate change, mitigation of the effects of climate change, more active applications of models for phenology, yield forecasting etc., active promotion of tactical applications such as response farming at the field level and promoting a
better understanding of the interactions between climate and biological diversity. These present important challenges and great opportunities for agrometeorologists to play a proactive role in promoting sustainable development in the 21st Century.
© 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Agenda 21; UNFCCC; CBD; UNCCD; World Food Summit Plan of Action; Priorities for agrometeorologists
∗
Corresponding author. Tel.: +41-22-730-8380; fax: +41-22-734-8031.
E-mail address: sivakumar mgateway.wmo.ch M.V.K. Sivakumar
1. Introduction
The recent emphasis on sustainability in several world forums makes one wonder whether it is a phi-
losophy, a long term goal or a set of management prac- tices Francis et al., 1988. It is however incontestable
that sustainable agriculture is seen as an important goal throughout the world. Rapidly rising population
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12 M.V.K. Sivakumar et al. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 103 2000 11–26
growth and diminishing arable land, particularly in the developing countries, has increased the stress on
the natural resource base. Lal 1991 calculates that the per capita arable land will progressively decline
from about 0.3 ha in 1990 to 0.23 ha by the year 2000, 0.15 ha by 2050 and 0.14 ha by 2100. Combined with
the growing concerns regarding the decline in the non-renewable sources of energy and the degradation
of environment, it is certainly timely that the world is taking a hard look at the way natural resources
have been exploited so far with the sole objective of profitability rather than long term sustainability.
There is no generally accepted definition of sustain- able agriculture CGIARTAC, 1988. However, as
Swindale 1988 explained, sustainability conveys the
Table 1 Reference to the relevance of agroclimatic information in selected definitions of sustainability
Author Definition of sustainability
Keywords for agroclimatic sustainable systems
information American Society
of Agronomy ASA, 1989
That, over the long-term, enhances environ- mental quality and the resource base on which
agriculture depends; provides for basic human food and fibre needs; is economically viable;
and enhances the quality of life for farmers and society.
Environmental quality; resource base
Bifad 1988 The successful management of resources for
agriculture to satisfy changing human needs, while maintaining or enhancing the natural
resource base and avoiding environmental degradation.
Management of resources; natu- ral resource base; environmental
degradation
One that should conserve and protect natural resources and allow for long term economic
growth by managing all exploited resources for sustainable yields.
Natural resources; exploited resources CGIARTAC 1988
Sustainability refers to successful mana- gement of resources f or agriculture
to satisfy changing human needs while maintaining or enhancing the quality of
the environment and conserving natural resources.
Quality of environment; natural resource conservation
Conway 1985 Ability of a system to maintain producti-
vity in spite of major disturbance such as is caused by intense or large perturbation.
Productivity resources Davis and Schirmer 1987
Among the topics considered under sustain- able agriculture are resource management issues
dealing with soils, land, natural resources and watersheds; and environmental problems
such as desertification, soil degradation etc. Natural resources; environmental problems
Dover and Talbot 1987 Those systems whose production can
continue indefinitely without undue degradation of other ecosystems.
Ecosystem degradation
idea of a balance between human needs and environ- mental concerns. A common theme among definitions
is that sustainable agricultural systems remain pro- ductive over time Senanayake, 1991. They should
provide for the needs of current, as well as future gen- erations, while conserving natural resources NRC,
1991. The enhancement of the environmental quality and careful use of the resource base on which agri-
culture depends is viewed as a requisite to sustained agricultural productivity ASA, 1989. In fact, a se-
lection of the definitions of sustainabilitysustainable systems from the literature Table 1 shows that nat-
ural resource use is a keyword in almost all of them.
Basically, sustainable agriculture is a philosophy based on human goals and on understanding the long
M.V.K. Sivakumar et al. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 103 2000 11–26 13
Table 1 Contiuned Author
Definition of sustainability Keywords for agroclimatic
sustainable systems information
Knezek et al. 1988 Resource conserving and uses external and
internal resources as efficiently as possible. Resource conserving;
environmentally sound Environmentally sound, actually
enhancing rather than detracting from the natural environment.
Economically viable in that it earns a fair return on farm
investments.
Lal 1991 An increasing trend in production over time
per unit consumption of the non-renewable or the limiting resource, or per unit degradation
of soil and environmental characteristics. Resource use environmental
characteristics. Lynam and Herdt 1988
The capacity of a system to maintain output at a level approximately equal
to or greater than its historical average with the approximation determined by
its historical variability. resources for maintaining output
Okigbo 1991 A system which maintains an acceptable and
increasing level of productivity that satisfies prevailing needs and is continuously adapted
to meet the future needs for increasing the carrying capacity of the resource base and
other worth-while human needs. Resource base
A system in which the farmer continuously increases productivity at levels that are economically viable,
ecologically sound, and culturally acceptable, through the efficient management of resources and orchestra-
tion of inputs in numbers, quantities, sequences and timing with minimum damage to the environment and
danger to human life. Ecologically sound; management
of resources
Rodale 1988 The system where the resources used in pro-
duction are maintained in such a way that they are more or less self-generating and
ensure continual improvement beyond conventional expectations.
Self-generating; production resources
Rome Forum 1986 Efforts to achieve sustainable food security
should blend the unique features that cater for specific cultural economic and ecological condi-
tions among countries and within different regions in the same country.
Ecological conditions
Ruttan 1989 Development of technology and prac-
tices that maintain andor enhance the quality of land and water resources.
Land and water resources The improvement in plants and animals
and the advances in production prac- tices that will facilitate the substitution
of biological technology for chemical technology.
WCED 1987 Conserving and enhancing the resource base
and merging economics and environment in decision making are among the objectives
for sustainable development. Resource base; environment
14 M.V.K. Sivakumar et al. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 103 2000 11–26
term impact of our activities on the environment and other species Francis, 1990. Broad concepts in sus-
tainable agriculture encompass ecological, economic, and social parameters, whereas more narrowly defined
concepts are mostly concerned with environmental is- sues such as optimal resource and environmental man-
agement McCracken and Pretty, 1990.
The notion that sustainable agricultural systems ‘maintain output in spite of major disturbance, such
as caused by intensive stress or large perturbation’ Conway, 1985 is of particular relevance to semi-arid
ecosystems. The high rainfall variability of the semi-arid zone can cause wide fluctuations in agri-
cultural productivity and has profound impacts on the ecology, economy and social welfare of the people
of the region. Even the more productive river deltas, although not specifically fragile, are the result of a
long evolution and are, in the words of Riebsame et al. 1995, tuned to the current climate. Any depar-
ture from the current equilibrium, even one that would a priori be positive e.g. better rainfallevaporation ra-
tio, results in a temporary disturbance of the ecology and productivity.
2. Importance of agroclimatic considerations in sustainable agriculture
